Shadow of the League
by ShadowOfBarakiel
Summary: At the centre of the League, holds a dark secret. Talon and Riven, the two new Champions inducted into the Institute of War, meet this darkness head on. The League was built to solve conflicts between military forces, but it has never been to the extent of this... (This is a combined project between me and IraDove)
1. Chapter 1- The Blade's Shadow

The image of a body bleeding from the neck, no more than a child's, pops into the man's head.

_Kavyn. It started with him._

Several more accompany it in his mind, the blood and grievous wounds able to shock any normal person looking upon them.

_They came for me. A deal, they said, to serve them or to die. They received the latter._

_But of course... that day came. The day that I was swept from the slums and into the luxurious palace that was accompanied by a sense of order._

He remembers the night on the walkway of the streets of Noxus, walking cautiously before a hooded figure attacks him with a short sword and knife. He blocks both strikes with a blade under each arm, before throwing him off guard to distract him, vaulting over the side of the walkway and landing on the ground into a roll.

He then starts sprinting away as he sees the figure follow him with surprising agility, turning just in time to dodge a sword thrust and running past the streets into a dead end, before he sprints to the wall, kicking off it to back flip behind the stranger. He strikes with his elongated blade, but that thrust is parried by his opponent's sword. Suddenly, he feels the weight of the sword being lifted as the stranger feints, pulling it back and kneeing him in the chest, and bringing him to the ground as the hooded man points his sword at him.

The man then reveals himself as General Du Couteau, still holding the young man at sword point.

"I offer you a chance at salvation, young assassin. Join the ranks of Noxus, or die here in this dismal place," he says with a loud and authoritative voice.

"If I must, then I shall. However, you are the only one I will obey, General, as I can only respect someone who has bested me in battle."

_From then on, I served him. My blades were his. And they were sharpened to the point they are at today._

He feels a poke on his shoulder, and hears a voice, feminine in nature, speaking to him.

"Assassin, let's go."

Talon's eyes open at the first word, and he steps out of the carriage, having taken the time to prepare during the ride. The gleam of sunlight reflects off his armour, his cape with five deadly spikes on it as well as the red scarf used as a veil over his mouth, his brown hair visible in the light.

"Now, now, Talon, we need to interrogate him for father, so don't kill him just yet, just abduct him," Katarina, says to him quietly, for it was her. He nods in response, silently free running up the nearest building and sighting their target.

_I need to get over there and snatch him... okay, found a way,_he thinks to himself whilst looking over the area, running towards a conveniently placed, crane-lifted plank. He cuts it off with his wrist mounted blade as he jumps into the wall, barely grabbing onto the railing as he looks down to see what destruction he has caused. The crash had caused a distraction as people start to investigate, giving Katarina the signal to snatch him. She nods, and runs over, cupping his mouth with her hand, and dragging him into the facility's basement. As they enter the basement, Talon grows impatient.

"Okay, out with it, why are you here at a military testing facility when you're a politician?" Talon says to him, obviously annoyed.

The captive spits directly at Talon insultingly.

"Well, well, Katarina and Talon. Children of the dead General."

Katarina widens her eyes, and punches the tied up politician multiple times in the face.

"SHUT UP!" She yells at him before drawing a blade. She is about to cut him open when Talon stops her, his face impassive.

"Tell us what we want to know, and you may die cleanly."

The captive scowls at Talon, and turns away from him. Talon sighs with regret, and kneels down, searching the pockets of the man and finding a notice with a seal from the royal chambers of Zaun.

"You pathetic bureaucrat." is all Talon says, before plunging his blade into the man's neck and killing him instantly. He then opens the letter to see a military notification, from a person called Singed. It dictates that, if any warrior of the Noxus High Command saw a deserter known only by the name Riven, then they must seek out and kill her immediately, disregarding all other orders.

He scowls, before taking a torch from the mantelpiece, and starting to burn the letter, as well as the whole basement. "Now we go." He quickly says to Katarina as he exits the room, walking straight past the carriage. "Send word if it's true. You'll see me again soon." He remarks to her before wandering off into the nearby woods, searching for this Riven.


	2. Chapter 2- The Exiled Warrior

The soft swish of an onyx blade, carved with runic inscriptions, was all that was heard in the quiet of the sweltering Noxian summer. Firmly gripping the sword in a single hand was a girl in her late teens. The young warrior stood tall, just beyond and below the imposing figure of the Noxian High Command, as she familiarized herself with the weight and handling of the huge weapon.

Heavier than a kite shield and nearly as broad, she mused. Perfectly suited to her tastes. She effortlessly tested the weight, swinging it around and wedging it into a nearby pole, before pulling it out with little effort.

Riven then ran her hand over the ebony surface of the sword, the corner of her mouth twitching upwards. The warm, humid breeze danced through her light bangs as she traced her fingers over the brilliant green markings carved into the metal, memorizing every curve and groove there was.

_This weapon is for me._

The emerald glow of the runic blade, she felt, was mirrored by the burning glow of pride which radiated from her core.

'_A truly impressive display of Noxian spirit.'_

Those words, spoken only minutes ago by the Noxian High Command, resounded in her mind, as she descended the dark stone steps of the building, confident in her beliefs.

_The strong survive and triumph._

A battered Riven dove to the side, gasping as she collided with a heap of rugged boulders.

Barely a second later, a searing white sphere slammed into the ground with extreme force, marking where she had once been. The ground convulsed with the violence of the explosion as the girl hastily struggled to her feet to continue her desperate flight.

How could Singed order the Noxians to target their own troops? What kind of horrifying monster could do something like this?

Her armored boots pounded against the vibrating floor of the valley, the dark of night bringing with it an overwhelming sense of despair and loss.

The blinding light of the Melters' shots lit the night sky, granting Riven a clear view of the death encompassing her. Ionians and Noxians alike lay scattered on the muddy ground; some bodies destroyed so badly that they were no longer recognizable as human.

It was undoubtedly a horrific sight to behold.

Riven shook her head, blocking out the screams of soldiers and the thundering booms of Zaun techmaturgy.

_Only the strong survive_, she mentally repeated to herself as she navigated through the bloodied chaos of her surroundings – yet, it meant absolutely nothing to her. The Ionians, the near victors of this war, were to die as well.

This massacre had completely violated the Noxian way.

For possibly the only instance in her life, Riven felt completely and utterly lost.

Yet somewhere inside her a dark rage began to burn, and for the first time, she felt she was truly driven by revenge.

_Revenge. For all the souls you killed with your horrifying inventions._


	3. Chapter 3- Confrontation

**Talon's POV**

He has been walking through the woods for some time now, before coming to a cliff with a few ledges hanging on the side of the cliff. He effortlessly slides down the cliff and lands on the first ledge, before going down to the next few by jumping across to each one. Suddenly, one of the cliff edges collapses and he starts falling down the cliff. He manages to wedge his right blade into the cliff side, searching for a way to get across.

_There,_ he thinks as he sees a tree branch close to another ledge, using another one of his blades to climb up and jump to the branch, swinging off it and rolling onto the ledge. He pants softly at that workout, and looks over to the wasteland, seeing a faint figure approach the cliff.

**Riven's POV**

She keeps her eyes fixed to the horizon, grass crunching beneath her feet as she approaches the cliff edge. A fair distance ahead of her, the young warrior can see the smoking remnants of a small village.

_Singed's handiwork, no doubt._

Riven surveys the narrow cliff ledges, crouching down and launching herself off the edge with her left hand. She lands steadily on a ledge directly below her, carefully skipping across a number of others. However, she halts upon noticing the collapse of a nearby shelf – one of her few ways down to the ground – and scans her surroundings for another way to the bottom.

As she turns her head, she catches a flash of red and silver at the edges of her vision, and spins around, hand outstretched to steady herself by the cliff wall.

Only metres away is a man with twin blades of steel, face partially shrouded by a crimson scarf. He stares at her intensely, unmoving, his sharp eyes fully aware of her every movement.

'Who are you?' he inquires, eyes boring into her.

'My name is Riven,' is the reply.

'Riven, you say?' His eyes narrow further in suspicion.

Without warning, Talon leaps at her, skilfully landing on her ledge in a crouch and swiping his right blade in an upwards curve towards her neck. Riven's sharp reflexes spring into action, and she parries the fatal strike, the sheer weight of her sword pushing Talon's right arm aside. He uses the sideways momentum to pivot on the spot, slashing at her with his short sword as he turns to face her, but she sidesteps to dodge the metal.

Riven gasps as her new foothold crumbles, throwing her off balance. The assassin's eyes glint as she is left wide open to attack, closing in on her to deftly follow up with a flurry of consecutive strikes. Yet somehow, Riven barely manages to block his stabs and slashes, somersaulting backwards to land on a cliff ledge a considerable distance below him.

She briefly glances at her left arm, a shallow wound causing her to curse in dismay. So he had managed to draw blood after all.

_Damn._

However, she is allowed little respite as his shadow appears in the air above her, having vaulted off the shelf with no hesitation. Talon twists in midair, angling his blades to strike yet again, but is blocked by the girl with both hands as she firmly kicks him in the chest, sending him reeling backwards off the ledge. He manages to grasp her ankle, the tables turned as he pulls her along with him.

The wind beats against Riven's back harshly as the pair freefall. His left hand now tightly clamped onto her shoulder, Talon pulls her towards himself, kneeing her in the stomach and knocking her air out of her as the wind whistles through his hair. Winded, Riven only just deflects his arm's blade – an attempt to stab her through the chest.

The assassin's eyes bore into her, miffed at her parry, but nevertheless mildly impressed at her display of skill.

Her eyes tighten in determination. In an unexpected move, she grips his wrists and swiftly wrenches the both of them around so that she is above him. Talon's eyes widen in surprise - milliseconds before Riven painfully slams him into an overhanging shelf, back first.

The tables had turned.

The soldier smirks, no longer on the defensive. However, as she curls her fingers into a fist, she notices a faint, yet bitter and alarmingly familiar scent pervade the atmosphere.

_No way._

The girl falters mid-punch as the smell grows increasingly acrid, and is violently booted backwards by a quickly recovering Talon. She falls, backflipping just in time to land on a steeper ledge, and she breaks into a run.

Craning her neck upwards, Riven spots the nameless assassin dodging incoming poison bombs from a mysterious, unknown person.

**Talon POV**

As soon as he knocks her off of the ledge, he finds himself bombarded by strange, poison bombs. Barely able to dodge them, he jumps off the ledge, landing on another and taking cover underneath the ledge above him. Turning his face her, he sees Riven hide there with him.

-mutual unspoken truce-

"Why is this guy after you, Riven?" He asks her coolly.

She pants, obviously not used to the strain of jumping from ledge to ledge.

"I'm... I'm a deserter, and this guy murdered a whole squad of both Ionian and Noxian forces! He's mine assassin, so don't get in my way," she remarks spitefully as she readies her sword hand.

Talon sighs, and sprints to the right, leaping to the next ledge so as to provide a distraction for Riven to climb up.

He barely hears her cry of "What the hell are you doing?!" his hearing hindered by the wind.

He kicks off the wall of the cliff to climb onto another ledge, the deadly barrage of poison bombs trailing at his back. Eventually reaching the top of the cliff, he notices Riven doing the same on the other side.

**Riven's POV**

Riven hauls herself up and over the edge of the cliff, clambering onto the flat ground. Raising her head, she lifts her upturned eyes to the numerous figures standing before her.

Singed grins at her malevolently. Facing her are twenty-five or so, combat hardened soldiers, weapons drawn and at the ready. Riven grimaces, wondering where the mysterious assassin could be.

_This…is going to be difficult to get out of._

"Well, well, greetings Riven. I see you couldn't have chosen a more convenient time to show up."

"Singed. You bastard," she spits fiercely.

The smirk on the chemist's face melds into a sneer. He turns to his men, mocking eyes now cold - almost glacial.

"Eliminate her."

Bracing herself for battle, Riven leaps to her feet, sword ready in hand as she sees as the soldiers flanking Singed rush towards her. Her eyes glint.

It was do or die.


	4. Chapter 4- Encounters

**AN: yeah, I managed to bother to make an author's note :) Thank you for all your awesome reviews, they have really been a great inspiration, although, I may have disappointed you with this chapter, by introducing a few new characters, haha :) Anyway, have fun with the long chapter, and please review, it makes me want to write more :D**

**- Barakiel**

* * *

**Truce**

**Riven's POV:**

Riven grips her onyx blade, sunlight ricocheting off the raised sword as the multitude of enemies rapidly close in on her.

A sphere of transparent emerald encases her, and a dull clang is heard as the closest soldier's short sword rebounds off its newly formed surface. Riven slices upwards at a man in front of her, arcing her blade around in a single movement, striking two others and parrying a third.

Suddenly, she catches a brief flash of silver and red above her. Moments later, the three men near her collapse onto the callous terrain, dead.

The familiar figure lands next to her, his short sword and arm's blade held defensively in front of him_._ His dark eyes meet hers, and he nods briefly.

Singed's eyes widen in astonished resentment.

"Talon?"

The assassin offers Singed a hard silence, turning to dash into the midst of the unprepared soldiers. He is nothing but a blur of steel; a flurry of blades as he seamlessly takes down foe after foe around himself and Riven. The young warrior is speechless, riveted to her standing place as she observes his swift handiwork.

Thoroughly impressed with the one-man army, Riven watches as Talon lashes out at a soldier with his sword, his right arm simultaneously whipping behind him to deflect a blow to his back.

_Nice. _She quirks an eyebrow at the impressively executed action.

Backflipping to avoid both a right hook to the head and a blow to the knees from behind, Talon twirls, plunging his blades into both attacking soldiers.

Yet Riven is drawn back to the battle as she detects a familiar, acidic stench. Senses suddenly fully alert, she jumps away from the source of the smell and spins to her left, barely a second before Singed rams into her, tossing her into the air behind him.

Her eyes widen from the unexpected assault, but she transitions into a backwards flip, landing on the cliff's edge in a crouch. Her eyes are bitingly cold.

'You really shouldn't expect me to go down so easily, Zaunite,' she grinds through her teeth.

'Oh?' The alchemist grins lopsidedly.

His hand closes around a sickeningly green potion, hurling it at Riven with unexpected speed. Yet she twists sideways, dodging the projectile and running straight for Singed. His eyes narrow, and he reaches behind him for more concotions.

Ducking and dodging left and right to avoid the chemical barrage, Riven continues towards him, undeterred.

She slashes upwards, severing the leather belt which binds the chemist's concoctions to his back, and a deafening crash is heard as the colossal lime-coloured vial smashes to the ground.

Singed's eyes widen in unpleasant surprise as she roughly kicks him into the rapidly expanding pool of toxins.

He cries out in pain; the poisonous mixture enough to kill any other grown man. An utterly repulsive smell begins to overtake the atmosphere, both parties beginning to cough and splutter.

**Talon's POV**

Talon presses his scarf around his mouth and nose, ducking under the swipe of one of the two remaining soldiers and hastily running for the cliff edge. He can see Riven following suit, yet she is clearly hindered by the poisonous gases, seeming to stumble as she makes her way towards him.

He dives off the edge of the cliff, safely rolling onto a ledge below and hastily navigating to the base of the rock wall. Above him, he can see the small figure of Riven, stumbling down each ledge as she fights against the effects of the poison.

He manages to throw shurikens at the men chasing Riven, and, as she finally reaches him, he begins to guide her across the ledges. Eventually, they reach the ground, and he lifts her over his shoulder, breaking into an unnaturally fast run.

After they are a few miles away from the loose soldiers, he slows down, but keeps walking through the trees. Looking up one, he starts climbing up the branches to sit in, laying her down on a branch.

**Riven's POV**

After a couple of minutes of clear air, Riven starts to recover, straining to open her eyes. She jolts awake, surprised to find herself in a tree.

She sees the mysterious assassin, Talon, standing on top of the top tree branch and sharpening his multiple blades on his elongated one. Changing her line of vision, she notices the distant outline of a building.

_How unexpected._

She sighs, then jumps down and heads toward the structure, hearing Talon land in a thud beside her, rolling to break his fall, then walking next to her.

As the duo reach the door of the wooden building, Riven gazes at a painted sign which hangs from its roof.

'The Black Eagle.'

Talon jerks an eyebrow. 'An inn, here?'

He grasps the dulled, metal handle, pushing the door open. As Riven and he step inside, they are met with the drone of voices and a warm draft of air. A small bar stands to the side, bulky wooden tables seating numerous patrons, whilst a spiralling staircase leads to the second storey.

They make their way towards a fairly empty table, sitting down on opposite sides of its benches. A silence is held between the both of them, and Riven allows her eyes to drift yet again. To her left, a small group of Demacians is conversing over dinner, whilst the table to her right seats a beautiful, nine-tailed lady, seemingly wooing a young man with ease.

Talon suddenly leans forward, firmly planting his left hand on the table.

'So soldier, tell me why Singed and his lackeys are after you?'

The unexpected question causes Riven to tense.

'It's Riven. Why do you want you know?'

'That doesn't matter, girl. I want some answers. Why else do you think I bothered to save your skin?"

Her interrogator leans back, solidly holding her gaze as she stares him down, undecided on whether to tell him or not. Out of the corner of her vision, the warrior notices the fox-girl eye Talon with interest.

'Of course, I could just end this here if you wanted,' he intones.

Rolling her eyes, Riven opens her mouth to speak, but is cut off by a flash of glittering teal in front of her.

Sidling up to Talon is the nine-tailed lady, adorned in a scarlet and silver dress. She giggles sweetly, ignoring her completely. Two silky, pointed ears emerge from her ebony, free-flowing tresses which reach her waist.

The perfect picture of beauty.

The assassin turns to look at her, unfazed in the slightest.

'What is it?' He asks, slightly annoyed at the untimely interruption.

The girl flutters her eyelashes flirtatiously, sparkling amber orbs gazing into his.

**Ahri's POV**

'Hey there, cutie.' She smiles seductively, reaching a hand out to brush his chin lightly.

The hooded man bats her hand away, sending her a flat, annoyed look.

Undeterred, she snuggles up to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

'Stop it.' He deadpans, glaring at her.

Intrigued, Ahri stares at him. Rarely had she encountered a man who was not smitten by her beauty. This one was certainly different.

Trying again, she tugs on his sleeve lightly. 'Come with me for a bit?'

He looks behind her, and doesn't say anything before whispering into her ear.

"There are about ten soldiers following either you, or me. I just thought I'd let you know." He says quietly before sitting down and closing his eyes in mock annoyance.

She turns around to spot them, eyeing the group in question with some curiosity.

"I can handle myself, but I can take care of others... better." She almost purrs in anticipation, smiling foxily.

He shakes his head.

"They're resistant to magic, and after us. You have no need to get involved, seductress." He coldly replies to her, lifting himself off of the table.

She suddenly grabs him by the arm, a bit of caring in her eyes.

"Be careful..."

He rolls his eyes, and walks past the guards, scowling at them, and, when he exits the inn, they all follow him. The soldier girl with him quickly gets up, and gives her a look.

"You did this, mage."

Ahri is surprised at her tone.

"Hey, what the hell did I do to you?"

"Get out of my way." Riven replies bluntly as she barges through her, rushing towards the door.

_What a rude person. Still... That man, he's special to shrug off my gifts like nothing, and, without him, I'd probably be dead... _She ponders to herself for a while before rushing out the door to follow the two.

**Riven's POV**

Riven's boots pound over the dirt ground as she dashes after Talon and the group of soldiers hotly pursuing him. With the soldiers barely twenty metres ahead, she sees the assassin spin around suddenly to face the incoming enemies.

He dodges a blade swipe to the face, instantly taking out the two frontmost men with one swipe of his armblade. Barely a second later, a third cries out, having fallen victim to his short sword. The man's enemies pause in their tracks, fear now evident on their faces.

The corners of Riven's lips curve upwards.

_This guy really is quick, huh?_

Now having caught up to them, she vaults into the air, bringing her massive sword down hard and fast on the unsuspecting men at the rear. She slams into the ground with brute force, slashing downwards and to her right to take out the two at the back. The enemies now alerted to her presence, half of the remaining soldiers turn to face her, whilst the other three remain on guard against Talon.

Riven briefly flashes a glance at her enemy-turned-ally, who smirks deviously.

"Piece of cake."

No sooner than the words are out of his mouth do their enemies dash forwards on both sides. Yet just as the warrior ducks to avoid two attacks and deflects a third from her back, she detects a soft whoosh through the air and the sparkle of luminescent blue.

However, it is unwise to turn her head away from the battle. As she parries a second strike from above her and lashes out at a man with a spear, she hears Talon growl in annoyance as he deals with his own enemies.

"Hey, mage! What are you doing?"

Ahri answers him shortly, her voice devoid of its seductive charm.

"I don't even know you, and you're willing to risk your life to save mine? What, do you think I'd let you handle this by yourself?"

Finishing off the last of her enemies with a single strike, Riven can almost hear Talon roll his eyes.

"You must be joking, fox. Don't underestimate me."

The body of the last remaining soldier crumples to the ground. Sheathing his sword, the assassin stalks towards her.

"You know magic is useless against them, so don't make yourself a liability."

The danger gone, Riven watches Ahri huff cutely, folding her arms. She looks up at him from beneath her lashes.

"Oh, alright then, good looking. See you back at the inn." The foxy girl winks at him.

Another flash of blue and she is out of sight.

_Well, doesn't she change her attitude quickly? _Riven ponders to herself.

Meeting Talon's gaze, she nods at him briefly and turns, making her way back to the Black Eagle as he follows.

**Ahri's POV**

Her fluffy snow-white tails waving behind her, Ahri enters the inn.

"For a good looking guy, he's very blunt isn't he?" She thinks, a little irked by the encounter, but nevertheless surprised by his indifference.

_Harsh and straight to the point. That's certainly new._

Sauntering up to the bar counter, the mage sights a muscular, iron-clad man who is about to leave the inn. He is armed with a long sword. By the design of his armour and his navy cape, he seems to be quite a high ranking soldier, Ahri guesses.

The foxy assassin decides to try her luck, stalking up to the beefy man flirtatiously and battering her eyelashes at him.

"Hey - " she begins, but is suddenly cut off as the man clamps down onto her arm. He forcefully shoves her against the adjacent wall, his eyes cold and with malicious intent.

"WHERE are my men?" He hisses.

"Uh…" Ahri stutters, completely unprepared for his reaction.

"You know what I'm talking about, girl. I saw you follow that exile and the assassin out the door, so start talking." His grip tightens around her forearm.

The fingers of Ahri's right hand curl slightly as she summons her orb and hurls it towards the man's chest – yet he is completely unaffected by her attack. He grins.

"Nice try, witch, but magic isn't going to get you anywhere."

_Darn it, I should've known._

The man's lip curls into a sneer as he reaches to draw his sword with his free hand. Now with little chance of escaping him, the young mage begins to struggle against his grip, uneasy.

Yet the creak of a heavy wooden door is heard, causing the Noxian to turn his head towards the source.

**Talon's POV**

Talon walks through the noisy inn's door, the wooden floorboards creaking under his dark leather boots. He can hear Riven trailing closely behind, massive sword resting on her right shoulder.

_That was too easy._

"You! Scum!" A voice shouts roughly from the corner of the bar.

The assassin jerks to face the muscular soldier who has issued the insult. A Noxian senior officer, by the looks of it. His eyes shift slightly to the left, where the mage girl from earlier is pressed against the wall, a sword halfway to her throat.

Talon groans.

_That girl really knows how to make a nuisance of herself. Regardless, this could prove to be interesting._

His pace quickens as he strides up to the brawny man, Riven following suit.

"You'd best let her go now." He says evenly, pointedly staring at the fox like lady, who eyes him with gratitude.

"Did you just threaten me, boy?" The man scoffs.

"I was merely suggesting what's best for you. But yes, I was."

"You're a cocky brat, aren't you?"

"Hmph."

"Suppose I'll humour you then, brat. I'll take you on, one against one, no armour or weapons. If you win, the girl goes free. Of course, if I break every bone in your body, then both her and your companion die. Fair?" The man grins deviously.

"Two lives at risk for one? Hardly, but why not? I accept." Talon smirks at him, ignoring the fox-girl's protests.

"You're a bastard, Talon," the feminine voice behind him mutters indignantly.

"I'm not going to lose, I'm sure you know."

"You're still a bastard."

Not bothering to turn to face her, he begins to remove his silvered armblade, then unbuckles his short sword and belt. The dull clang of metallic items hitting the floor tells him that his enemy is mirroring his actions. Behind him, both girls stand in anticipation of the fight.

He finishes unbuckling his cape and breastplate, and reaches into his pants pockets to pull out three knives and a couple of shurikens. He adds them to his pile of weapons, then fishes out four more short knives, kunai, and a foldable hunting knife.

Sitting down to pull off a boot, Talon glances upwards shortly. He notices Riven staring incredulously at his fast-growing pile of sharp objects, while his opponent taps his foot impatiently, already finished disarming.

He inwardly grins in amusement.

Just for show, he tips his boot upside down and shakes it, allowing another knife to topple out, and does the same with his other one. Then he gets to his feet, staring at his opponent confidently.

"Let's begin then."

The older man lunges at him with a roar, the whole inn quieting down and ceasing their activities to look at the pair. Talon easily sidesteps him, seizing the officer by his shoulders and flipping him head over heels. The man grunts as he collides with the floor, rolling to his feet and jumping away from the assassin, now more cautious. They circle each other, Talon with a cocky smile on his face, and the soldier with a sneer.

"Quick, aren't you, kid?"

"No, you're just slow."

The man growls, and lunges for him again. This time, the assassin ducks under him, using his enemy's momentum to slam him into the floor and pinning him to the ground. He straddles him, sending punch after punch hurtling towards the man's face.

The Noxian manages to catch his fist as he prepares to hit him again, pulling Talon towards him to return the favour. However, he twists his head to the right, just evading the blow. Sharply elbowing the man in the stomach, he delivers a final, solid blow to the winded man, knocking him unconscious.

**Ahri's POV**

The bulky figure of the Noxian officer lies on the floor, unmoving, as Ahri watches Talon stand up and dust himself off. As he seizes his knives and equips the rest of his armor, he turns to walk towards her and his companion.

"Pathetic. You'd think that a high ranking guy like him would be a little harder to take down," he mutters as he reaches the pair.

The female soldier in front of him glances at him, raising an eyebrow but smirking.

He turns to Ahri.

"I told you that you were a liability."

"Sorry…" She fixes her eyes to the floor, embarrassed.

"It doesn't matter, anyway. Those soldiers were a joke, even for Noxians. "

"Still, you helped me out twice, even though you didn't know me." Ahri gives him a sincere look, all traces of flirtatiousness gone.

"Thanks, uh…"

"Talon. And this here is Riven," he intones, jerking his head towards the warrior.

"I'm Ahri." The mage smiles.

Surprisingly enough, Talon responds with the hint of a smile, but it vanishes as quick as it arrived.

"We really should leave, Talon. We've caused enough of a disturbance around here," Riven interjects.

"Agreed. Let's go." He regards as he pushes open the twin doors to the inn and walks outside, looking around.

"There should be an Ionian town in the distance; it should give us an overview of the whole valley." He mentions, casually twirling a shuriken around his fingers.

Riven looks at him.

"How do you know that?"

"Just something I learned in my endeavors."

Ahri smiles broadly.

"Let's go then, mister." She says teasingly, before walking off in the direction of the hill.

Riven rolls her eyes, and follows her reluctantly. Talon sighs, catches the shuriken in his palm, and follows them both after inspecting the area.


End file.
